Brooks & Dunn Open ‘Kings of Neon’ Exhibit at Country Music Hall of Fame [Pictures]

Brooks & Dunn were on hand to premiere the new Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville on Thursday night (Aug. 8), and the iconic duo appeared incredulous in looking back on their extraordinary career.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn took the podium in the famous rotunda at the Hall of Fame after opening remarks from museum CEO Kyle Young, who pointed out that both men were middle-aged and had been largely unsuccessful in Nashville prior to a record company executive suggesting that they get together and form a duo. Neither man really wanted to do it, but as Brooks drily pointed out, "We were also pretty broke, and when somebody throws any kind of opportunity in front of you in the music business, you generally take it and try to make the best of it."

They scored a No. 1 hit right out of the gate with their debut single, "Brand New Man," in 1991, and as Brooks joked, "We knew we'd really screwed up. We've got to do something now. We're in business."

They went on to score a total of 20 No. 1 Billboard singles, place 39 Top 10 Billboard songs and win 46 CMA, ACM and Grammy Awards over their career, which will see them inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October. Both men seemed in near disbelief at what they had accomplished together, and they took the opportunity to thank a number of people who'd been instrumental in their career who were also on hand to see their exhibit opening.

"It's a big freaking duo," Brooks reflected in reference to everyone who had participated in their career behind the scenes. "I look around this room and it's hard to even keep talking, going, 'We owe you, and you, and you, and you ...' And the people in this room know, we've shared this amazing ride together."

Dunn echoed that sentiment, and he humorously called out some individuals in the audience. "Roger, I think you might have carried me comatose over the Canadian border a couple of times," he said. "Some of you scare me to death, because you know way too much. At the same time, so far you haven't ratted us out."

"It's hard to stand up here and take a whole lot of credit for a whole bunch," Dunn reflected. "I can say this: thank you for coming, and I'm gonna stick with Keith Richards' mode of going about things and just say, I have to be quiet here and let the myth eat, and humbly say thank you."

The Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon exhibit features stage clothing, guitars and an assortment of personal items from across the duo's career, as well as a case full of a staggering array of awards they have won over the years. Click though the gallery below to preview the exhibit and see photos from the opening.

Brooks & Dunn: Kings of Neon opens to the public on Friday (Aug 9), and it's set to run through July 19, 2020.